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Fashion designer Liz Claiborne passes away at the age of 78.
Famous fashion icon Liz Claiborne passed away on Tuesday, June 26, 2007. Best known for her revolutionary approach to the working woman's wardrobe, Claiborne used her own sense of style and functionality to build a thriving empire. Born in Brussels, Belgium as Elisabeth Claiborne on March 31, 1929, she was raised in New Orleans and left high school to study art in Europe. She moved to New York in the 1940s to follow her love of fashion and worked as a designer for 25 years before stepping out on her own. After divorcing Ben Schultz, she married current husband Art Ortenberg in 1957. Together with Ortenberg and partners Leonard Boxer and Jerome Chazen, Liz launched her label in 1976 and in 1981, Liz Claiborne, Inc. went public. Claiming to know what the working woman wanted (because she was one), Claiborne had developed a line of professional sportswear that included coordinated outfits with an affordable price tag. No need for the navy suit and tie, she told Women's Wear Daily. "I wanted to dress her in sportier clothes and colors." And that's exactly what she did. By 1985, Claiborne Inc. had made it to the Fortune 500 list, the first company founded by a woman to do so. She and Ortenberg also created the Liz Claiborne Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to ending domestic violence and promoting economic independence and a positive self-image for women and girls. Claiborne and Ortenberg also founded the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, dedicated to wildlife conservation. In 1985, she won a design aware from the CFDA and then a humanitarian award in 2000. By then, Liz Claiborne Inc. had grown well beyond the original working woman's sportswear collection and branched out into other areas including her well-known accessories and a line of casual wear. Her knack for creating complete outfits, fully coordinated from head to toe made her new ventures just as successful as the original endeavor. She retired from the company in 1989 and named her partner Chazen as the new chairman, but continued to remain involved in the company's development and image. Claiborne Inc went on to achieve worldwide recognition by acquiring new brands and collections and redefining the way women looked at fashion. After retiring, Claiborne and Ortenberg spent most of their time at their Montana ranch where Claiborne took an active role in furthering the goal of her non-profit foundations. Liz Claiborne died at the New York Presbyterian Hospital after a lengthy bout with cancer. She was 78 years old.
The copyright of the article Liz Claiborne 1929-2007 in Pop Culture Personalities is owned by Kate Luther. Permission to republish Liz Claiborne 1929-2007 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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